Netflix revamps its television offering

Netflix has redesigned its user interface, promising a richer and more
immersive experience for TV customers.

The main Netflix screen now provides three large, rotating images for each title – rather than a static grid – along with a shorter, punchier synopsis. Below is the familiar carousel of titles, but the old poster-style images have been replaced with new widescreen thumbnails.

Users can select individual title screens to read a broader synopsis. TV programmes now have an image for each episode along with an episode synopsis and a viewing progress bar.

Search is also more visual and predictive. Results for titles start to appear as soon as the user starts typing, and actor and director search is available from the same screen.

Users can view personalised details such as whether their Facebook friends have watched a particular title or how a title relates to one they have watched before, as well as whether a title has won awards.

"Our members collectively watch more than a billion hours of Netflix a month – most of that is on a TV,” said Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt. “This is the biggest change to the Netflix experience on televisions in our history, making it even easier to find something great to watch on Netflix.”

The new TV experience is delivered by a new Netflix software platform that runs on various devices, from low-powered set top boxes, recent models of Smart TVs and Blu-ray players to high-end game consoles. Previously, each device had its own Netflix experience, which meant features took longer to roll out across devices.

“This new software platform will allow us to innovate even faster and continuously improve the internet television experience for our members across multiple devices,” said Hunt.

The new Netflix TV experience launches on 13 November and will be available to all members globally within two weeks. Devices that will support the new experience include PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Roku 3, newer Smart TVs and recent Blu-ray players. Additional devices, including older Roku boxes, will be added over the coming months.

The update does not apply to mobile or tablet devices. Netflix said that its tablet and mobile experiences are designed specifically for those particular use cases, but added that it is exploring opportunities to make its service more rich and engaging across all platforms.